Boiler tube cleaner



Oct. 20, 1936. N. E. NIEL'SEN BOILER TUBE CLEANER Filed Jan. 11, 1935\NVENTOR Mala 1?. Melsen/ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATEATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a cleaning device of the type used forcleaning tubes which have a deposit on their inner surface, such asboiler tubes which have become incrusted with scale. Tube cleaners whichhave a body adapted to be rotated and attached to which are cleaningmembers, which are urged outwardly to contact and cut away the depositin the tube as the body is rotated, have also been known for some time.My invention relates to this general type of cutter and is animprovement on any heretofore known in that it is cheaper and easier toconstruct, due to the small number of parts and to the fact that themovable members are all the same and therefore interchangeable. Inaddition, my cleaning device is more effective in its operationinremoving the deposit from the tubes.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which maybe easilymoved through curved tubes to more effectively remove the deposit at thecurved portion of the tubes.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device, the cleaningelements of which are the same ateach end, so that a cleaning actionwill take place when the device is moved through the tube in eitherdirection, for example, bypushing or pulling.

Another object ofmy invention is the construction of a device in whichthe cleaning members per so are all alike. This permits the samecleaning members to be used in all positions of the rotatable body andfacilitates assembly and repair. The cleaning members are alsosymmetrical in that they are the same at each end, so that they may beinserted in the device without reference to a particular end, and turnedend for end should one end become worn to a greater extent than theother.

My invention has for a further object to provide a cleaning device inwhich the cleaning members are attached to the rotatable body for bothpivotal and slidable movement relative thereto, whereby the cleaningmembers may always contactthe deposit and thus insure the completeremoval of the deposit from the tube.

Still another feature of my invention is the arrangement of the pivotalmounting so that the cleaning members have a large expansion; thispermits the cleaning device to be used in tubes of varying sizes and intubes in which the deposit is of varying thickness.

My new cleaning device has other advantages and includes other featuresof novelty in addition to those above mentioned, as will be apparentfrom a consideration of the accompanying drawing forming a part of thespecification, and in which;

Figure 1 is a part section and part elevation showing the cleaningdevice inserted in a. section of a tube being cleaned, together with thedriving 5 means for rotating the device;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the cleaning device;

Figure 3 is a side elevation with part of one side broken away to showthe interior structure; 10

Figure 4 is a section taken on line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line V-V of Figure 4. This figure showsthe device rotated through as compared with Figure 3. 15

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I designates a tube, theinterior of which is to be cleaned. The cleaning device is indicatedgenerally at 2 and is attached at 3 to a flexible cable 4 in order thatthe cleaning device may be rotated by any suitable means, such as amotor 5.

The device itself consists of a body member having a central portion 6and a threaded end portion 1 by means of which the device may beattached to the flexible cable. The body is pref- 25 erably providedwith four slots 8 extending radially along the four sides of the bodyand at 90 to each other. Each slot is formed by two outwardly extendingside portions 9 which are an integral part of the body. Any number ofslots may be employed, such as two or six, butI find fourrepresents amost expedient design.

Each of the slots 8 has a cleaning member l0 mounted therein. Thesemembers are adapted to be moved with the body as the latter rotates, andin rotating scrape against the inside of the tube and remove thedeposit. They are the same at each end and all of the same size andshape, and, therefore, may be interchanged or'turnedend for end shouldone endbecome worn more than the 4 other.

Centrally of each cleaning member ID is an elongated opening H. Thecleaningmember is fastened for movement in the slot "8, by a pin;l2which extends through the elongated opening ll 45 and through an openingin each of the adjacent side members 9.

Through the central portion of the body 6 are formed two holes [3 at 90to each other, one above and one below the plane of the pivot pins 50I2. In each of these holes is mounted a compression spring l4 which actsagainst the insid of a pair of diametrically opposite cleaning mem bersill to pivot them about the pins I2 and project one end of each of themoutwardly and the 55 other end inwardly. The two diametrically oppositecleaning members which are acted upon by the spring on one side of thecenter of the body have their ends which are near this end of the bodyprojected outwardly. The two diametrically opposite cleaning membersacted upon by the spring on the other side of the center of the bodyhave their ends that are located near this other end of the bodyprojected outwardly. It will thus be seen that the cleaning portion ofeach end of the device is the same and therefore the cleaning actionwill be identical whether the device is being pushed or pulled throughthe tube.

When the device is used in a tube of a relatively large size, thecleaning members at first contact the deposit at one point l5. When thecleaning members become worn on this one end they may be turned end forend, replaced, orsharpened by grinding the face l6.

If the interior of the tube is relatively small or the amount of depositlarge, the end IE will be moved in against the spring as the other endI8 is movedoutwardly until the straight surface of the cleaning memberis parallel and contacts the inner surface of the tube. A cleaningdevice is generally employed of a size such that the flat face of thecleaning member is in engagement with the interior of the tube, as it isin this position that the most effective cleaning operation is obtained.In addition to the pivoting movement, the cleaning member may movebodily further inwardly to the extent permitted by the elongated openingII. The cleaning member can thus assume a variety of positions toaccommodate various sizes, shapes and curves in the tube andirregularities in the deposit, and yet always have a cleaning portion incontact with the deposit.

The pivot I2 is so arranged that the cleaning member may recedesubstantially entirely within the slot 8. A large amount of expansion isthus possible, so the cleaning device may be used on tubes of varyingsizes and in tubes with a large or small amount of deposit.

My invention consists in the construction. and novel combination andarrangement of the parts above described and illustrated, it beingobvious that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor detailsof construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofmy invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tube cleaning device comprising a body adapted to be rotated,elongated axially extending cleaning members mounted on said body bymeans of transverse pivotal connections intermediate the ends of saidmembers, whereby they may pivot in radial axial planes relative to saidbody, said cleaning members having their cleaning portions extending toboth ends thereof, resilient means acting on certain of the cleaningmembers urging only the ends thereof near one end of the body outwardly,and resilient means acting on other cleaning members urging only theends thereof near the other end of said body outwardly.

2. A tube cleaning device comprising a body adapted to be rotated,elongated axially extending cleaning members mounted on said body bymeans of transverse pivotal sliding connections intermediate the ends ofsaid members, whereby they may pivot and slide in radial axial planesrelative to said body, said cleaning members having their cleaningportions extending to both ends thereof, resilient means acting oncertain of the cleaning members urging only the ends thereof near oneend of the body outwardly, and resilient means acting on other cleaningmembers urging only the ends thereof near the other end of said bodyoutwardly.

..ing cleaning members having similar ends, said cleaning members beingsecured in the slots transversely thereof by sliding pivotal connectionsintermediate the ends of the cleaning members and the slots, and aplurality of springs within the body, one for each pair of oppositeslots, and engaging the cleaning members in the slots only at a pointbetween the pivotal connection and one end to force the adjacent end ofeach element in one pair of slots outwardly, and to force the oppositeadjacent end of each element in another pair of slots outwardly.

4. A rotary tube cleaner comprising a body adapted to be rotated andhaving two pairs of oppositely disposed radially opening longitudinalslots therein, elongated axially extending cleaning members havingsimilar ends disposed in the slots, radially elongated pivot openings inthe cleaning members between their ends, pivot pins extendingtransversely of the slots and through the pivot openings, and twosprings disposed within the body and extending into the slots, one ofsaid springs engaging each of one pair of cleaning members at a point oneach between one end and the pivot opening and the other of said springsengaging each of the other of said pairs of cleaning members at a pointon each between the pivot opening and the end opposite the said one endof the first-mentioned pair of elements.

5. A rotary tube cleaner adapted for cleaning tubes having relativelysharp curves, comprising a relatively short and compact body havingoppositely disposed radially opening longitudinal slots therein,elongated cleaning members substantially equal to the. length of saidbody and recessed in said slots throughout their length, said cleaningNIELS E. NIELSEN.

